Shortly after becoming a fitness professional I encountered my first young client struggling with this illness, in my researching to help her my eyes became opened to the vast number suffering from this. Within the first few weeks I learned of a great number of individuals I had know for years, in some cases, that fought with this illness or had children or other family members with it. I was astounded and the universe seemed to only want to steer me further to help this cause. For that reason I decided right around then that this would become my life’s cause to sponsor. While not a doctor I decided to put my efforts into every possible fund raising opportunity for this cause. On behalf of that new life calling, but mostly for all those suffering with this illness, I thank you for taking the time and compassion to read our little pieces in this puzzle and we bless you for any donation you might be able to give or any prayers or hopeful thoughts you might share internally at this moment.
The following is an excerpt submitted from one of my associate’s granddaughter’s who faces this disease daily…
"My name is Hailey. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was 10 and I am currently 12 years old. When my Crohn's was flared up, I had extreme abdominal pain. Most of the time it was so bad, it forced me to stay home from school. After about a week of having to be absent from school everyday, I grew lonely. Yes, I had my mom, but I missed my friends, I missed my teacher, and I missed school. Sometimes at night I would sit in bed and just weep. I had every right to. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, I missed everyone and I was tired of having to go to the hospital once a week. I remember thinking one day, after getting my blood drawn, “I hope I don’t have too do this all the time”. It wasn’t until about 12 weeks later that the abdominal pain began to stop. The steroids had worked for now. My Crohn’s is in remission now and I don’t want it to flare up again! So to make sure it doesn’t I have to take 9 pills a day, some are vitamins, but still, that’s a lot."
Hailey is a beautiful and brilliant young lady whom I hope can see better treatments and perhaps one day a reason or explanation of this disease that doesn’t include words or phrases like “we aren’t sure” or “we don’t know why”. This is an elusive disease that offers families immense challenges and little consolation.
